1. Students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to participate. Community college students and 8th graders may participate if the facility can accommodate them, as determined by the FC coordinator.
  2. Teams will consist of two to five students from the same school, homeschool, tribe, or scouting group. More than one team may enter from each school as space permits.  There may be a need to restrict the maximum to 10 students per school.  Requests to bring more than 10 students will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  3. An adult advisor must accompany each team. The advisor can be a teacher, staff member, or approved parent from that school.  One advisor can supervise more than one team from the same school, as housing arrangements permit.  If bringing only one adult, an additional adult of the opposite gender must be available on standby, to ensure proper overnight supervision.  Additional adults may be required to assure correct ratios, depending on the facility housing and school group size.
  4. Schools that pre-register by May 31, 2018, will receive a 30% discount on the registration fees listed below. Schools that pre-register after May 31 will be expected to pay the registration fees listed below.
  5. A completed registration form (available online) must be completed 12 days prior to the start of the event.
  6. Registration fees are due upon arrival to the event and must be paid for each person attending, including teachers and adult chaperones.  Fees for advisors’ infants and small children may be modified on a case-by-case basis. A refund check will be issued upon receipt of the registration check at the beginning of the event for students who are unable to attend.
  7. Registration fees and due dates are as follows:
  • Shasta FC fees are $105 per person, due September 26
  • Santa Cruz FC fees are $185 per person, due October 10
  • El Dorado FC fees are $120 per person, due October 24
  • San Bernardino FC fees are $160 per person, due November 7
  1. Student substitutions of the same gender are allowed and encouraged up to the start of the event.
  2. Each participant must arrive with all applicable and signed Liability / Medical / Media Release Forms in order to participate. These forms must be turned in at registration, or received prior to the event.
  3. Advisors and students will check in together unless prior arrangements are made with the FC Coordinator.
  4. Team advisors must be on site with their students at all times and will be responsible to assure that team members display proper conduct during the event and at the host facility. Rules applicable to the host site will apply.
  5. Participants will report any illness or personal emergency to the Coordinator or designated staff.
  6. If participants break or damage property of the FC or the host site, they are responsible for reporting the damage and paying for its repair.
  7. All students must attend and fully participate in all scheduled activities.
  8. Although advisors must attend all activities in order to properly supervise students, they are not allowed to actively participate in field testing or focus topic presentation preparation.
  9. The use of personal electronic devices such as cell phones and I-Pods for communication is prohibited except during free time or in the case of an emergency. Phone cameras may be used during the field trip.
  10. Students must report to and stay in their assigned cabins or dormitories at the designated time at the end of each day. Facility housing will be described in advance, and if it does not meet the needs of one or more students, the advisor must ask for alternate arrangements in advance of the start of the event.
  11. No students or advisors are allowed to leave the host site without approval.
  12. Tobacco, drugs, and alcohol are prohibited during all parts of the event.
  13. Transportation to, from, and during an event will be the responsibility of each participating team unless transportation is provided during an event.
  14. The FC has two parts: a Field Test and a Presentation.  The two parts will be scored separately.  The Field Test will be worth 60% and the Presentation will be worth 40% of the total score.
  15. The Field Test will be comprehensive in nature, with many questions using props and tools such as tree specimens and forestry equipment. One test key will be provided for each school at the conclusion of the testing period, to be returned by the end of the testing day.  The FC Coordinator or designee will be available to answer questions.
  16. Test questions will be devised using the FC Learning Objectives and reference materials linked to the Objectives as a guide, but are not necessarily limited to those items. Knowledge of basic ecological concepts and information presented during the field trip and field training may be tested as well.
  17. Students will not be allowed to use their own reference materials during the Field Test. All materials needed during the Field Test, including identification keys, reference materials, and equipment, will be provided at the testing stations.
  18. Any and all written and electronic materials teams bring to the event and gather while at the event may be used to prepare the Presentation. Laptop computers will be used, and there will be equal access to wireless internet. Hotspot devices will not be allowed unless being used to provide equal internet access to all teams.
  19. Students will not be allowed to review presentation notes once the first presentation period begins and may be asked to gather in one area to verify that they do not have access to presentation notes or images of such on their phones.
  20. Each team’s Field Test and Presentation scores will be totaled, and overall place awards will be given accordingly. All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.
  21. Students may attend more than one regular event during the fall season. If a team with one or more repeating students places in the top 5, that team will not displace a team that is competing for the first time that season.
  22. Students and advisors will be asked to complete an evaluation form at the conclusion of the event.
  23. Grievances must be submitted in writing to the FC Coordinator by the end of the review period immediately following the Field Test or the Presentation portion of the event. Grievances will be reviewed by the Coordinator, and discussed with involved judges and/or volunteers. The Coordinator’s decisions are final.
  24. FC rules are subject to change by the Coordinator. Any and all changes will be explained in advance to all teams and advisors.
  25. Any infraction of any of the FC Rules could result in disqualification and/or dismissal from the event and the host site.

Updated July 31, 2018

A downloadable PDF of the Rules is available by clicking here.